Two More Sports Betting Operators Gain North Carolina Sports Betting Market Access

May 7, 2023; Newark, New Jersey, USA; Carolina Hurricanes center Sebastian Aho (20) skates with the puck against the New Jersey Devils during the first period in game three of the second round of the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Prudential Center. Mandatory Credit: Ed Mulholland-USA TODAY SportsFanDuel and Fanatics Sportsbook have gained North Carolina sports betting market accessFanDuel agreed to a partnership with the PGA TourFanatics Betting and Gaming agreed to a partnership with the Carolina Hurricanes

Two more sports betting operators have made inroads for launching North Carolina sports betting apps.

FanDuel Sportsbook NC has agreed to a partnership with the PGA Tour while Fanatics Betting and Gaming has agreed to a partnership with the Carolina Hurricanes to gain sports betting access in North Carolina.

Each potential North Carolina sports betting operator must agree to a partnership with a North Carolina sports franchise, arena, PGA Tour course, or NASCAR track before it can apply to operate in the state.

Four Sports Betting Partnerships So Far

A Fanatics Betting and Gaming spokesperson confirmed the Carolina Hurricanes partnership with Sports Betting Dime. Sports Business Journal was the first to report on the FanDuel partnership with the PGA Tour.

With FanDuel and Fanatics Betting and Gaming agreeing to their respective partnerships, four sports betting operators have now gained market access in North Carolina.

PENN Entertainment announced a long-term strategic partnership earlier this month with Quail Hollow Club and the Wells Fargo Championship. The multi-faceted partnership with Quail Hollow Club allows ESPN BET to become the official betting operator of the Wells Fargo Championship, a PGA Tour Signature Event held in Charlotte. As the event’s official sports betting operator, ESPN BET gains marketing access to the event, including opportunities to engage and activate golf fans on-site during the tournament.

The Charlotte Hornets and bet365 North Carolina agreed to the first sports betting partnership in North Carolina in late November. The deal with the Charlotte Hornets is bet365’s fifth with a U.S. sports team. The sports betting operator currently has deals with the Washington Commanders, Colorado Rockies, Cleveland Guardians, and San Antonio Spurs.

As part of the partnership, bet365 will receive branding and signage at Spectrum Center, on Hornets.com, on Hornets social media platforms, and the Hornets app. Some in-arena signage, including the placement of the bet365 logo on the Spectrum Center courtside baseline aprons, will be evident during tonight’s Hornets NBA In-Season Tournament game against the Milwaukee Bucks.

Prominent brands like the BetMGM NC app and DraftKings NC Sportsbook are set to operate in North Carolina. Additionally, newcomers to the US market like ESPN Bet in North Carolina and the Caesars Sportsbook NC are anticipated to enter the North Carolina scene.

Additional partnerships are expected to be announced as the deadline for sports betting applications is set for Wednesday, Dec. 27.

NC Sports Betting Will Not Launch by Super Bowl

Despite the rapid partnerships, operators will not be accepting bets by the Super Bowl in North Carolina. Lottery Commission Chairman Ripley Rand revealed that the state will not able able to launch online sports betting by Super Bowl LVIII which will be held on Sunday, Feb. 11, 2024.

The Lottery Commission recently published its sports betting license applications and set a submission deadline of Wednesday, Dec. 27. Any operator that submits a license application past that deadline will not be eligible for the state’s launch date.

Hundreds of license applications, each several thousand pages long, are expected to be submitted.

After the license applications are submitted, a 60-day window will open for the commission to complete background checks on each applicant. If additional time is necessary, a new 30-day window can be opened